


Forever

by istehlurvz



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aomine runs from his feelings, Established Relationship, M/M, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-24 14:39:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1608779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/istehlurvz/pseuds/istehlurvz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The difference between “like”, “love”, and “in love” is the same as the difference between “for now”, “for a while” and “forever”. Alternatively known as Aomine has feelings and cant cope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Thank u Jordan for being a saint and betaing the shit outa this. Also this is the first time I’ve written anything since like 2005 be gentle pls. I got the idea off a shitty tumblr quote twitter and I’m ashamed about it.

The biggest mistake Aomine Daiki ever made in his life, he decides, was that he cared too much. He cared about basketball too much. He cared about his friends too much, even if he only ever showed it in weird backhanded ways. He just really honestly _cared_ , and it came right back around and bit him in the ass.

  
When he hit rock bottom in middle school there was a time when he truly believed that the world was ending. Suddenly, being around the people he had called his friends was exhausting, pretending that gaping hole in his heart was nothing was exhausting, and the repetition of _‘I’m fine Satsuki just drop it_ ’ was even more so. Basketball was boring and nothing he did could ignite the spark he had chased for years before.

  
During the last few weeks of middle school he had told his parents he wanted to quit. _‘That went well,’_ he remembered thinking sarcastically, as his mother checked his temperature and his father muttered _‘we don’t raise quitters in this house’._ So he didn’t quit. He kept playing, kept pretending he was fine, kept lying to everyone around him including himself until he was so numb to the disappointment after every match he believed it.

  
After he graduated from Teiko he spent the summer alone. Ignoring Satsuki’s persistent texts and house calls and feigning sick when his mother insisted he go out, ignoring the lack of contact from Tetsu or Kise or anyone else from his old team for that matter. But despite the sweltering heat of the summer, he felt cold down to his very core.

  
The night before he started high school is when he decided to stop giving a shit. And it worked right up until the moment Kagami Taiga walked into his life like he owned the place. He crashed into his life in a blaze so bright and beautiful his soul ached for the warmth he didn’t realize he had missed so desperately.

  
\--

  
“I like you.”  
They had been on the court for a while now, the score 3-7 in Aomine’s favor when Kagami says this. The methodic drum of the basketball hitting the pavement comes to a screeching halt as Aomine processes what the other man just said to him.

  
“What…don’t fuck with me asshole. That’s pretty underhanded, even for you.” He replies, plastering a smirk on his face that doesn’t reach his eyes.  
Kagami’s demeanor speaks volumes; his head held high, arm’s lax at his side, his eyes holding Aomine’s own intently. Everything about him screams confidence even though he just confessed, as if he knew the outcome no matter what.

  
_I’m so fucked._

  
“I like you.” Kagami repeats, and although it’s not spoken, or even insinuated, the _‘for now’_ is deafening.

  
\--

  
They start dating.

  
It’s rough for the first couple of weeks. Aomine is his usual self, which is less than desirable in his eyes, but Kagami takes it all in stride. The bickering is incessant but it’s almost _fun_ the way Kagami gets riled over miniscule things, like dishes left out, or raunchy jokes. It’s disconcerting the way the red head reads him so well though. The way he rises to easy bait, but the second Aomine says something that has him recoiling and mentally berating himself Kagami just gives him a look.

  
He sees that look in his dreams.

  
On the seventh week of them being ‘official’ they’re at Maji Burger with Kise, not that he’s keeping track, when the blonde points at the two of them.

  
“I swear to god, Kagamiichi, you can read minds,” Kise says with a laugh after Kagami efficiently shuts down another one of Aomine quips.

  
Kagami laughs long and hard, and after a beat Aomine joins him and ignores the gnawing thought of ‘what if’.

  
 _‘If Kagami could actually read minds this would have ended weeks ago,’_ his brain supplies as he covers his disdain with a vicious bite of his burger. The thought of ‘for now’ sits heavy on his tongue and heart.

  
\--

  
Six months into their relationship, no he’s still not keeping track, Kagami drops the ‘I love you’ bomb and Aomine’s heart almost stops.

  
It’s casual, he thinks later, the way it just rolled off the red head’s tongue, not missing a beat. They were in the kitchen when it happens, Aomine stealing bits of food and getting an earful for it.

  
“Well s~orry you’re highness, I didn’t know this was for royalty.”

  
“Seriously, Ahomine, can’t you wait for 10 minutes?”

  
“But I love your cooking.”

  
“I love you too, but seriously, 10 minutes and you’ll have your food. Get. Out.”

  
Aomine feels every muscle in his body seize up as Kagami pushes him into the living room. Thankfully he’s facing away because his expression probably wasn’t a pleasant one. He catches himself quick though, schooling his features into the usual shit eating grin and snaps ‘I’m timing you Bakagami, one second more and I’m coming back in.”

  
His voice is controlled, even though the nonchalant ‘I love you’ stirs a dark part of his mind that whispers _for a while_ back.

  
 _It’s fine, it was an accident’_ he thinks. as he feels those three words set every nerve in his body on fire.

  
\--

  
It turns out, he later realizes, that it wasn’t an accident.

  
The casual ‘I love you’ pops up more frequently over time. Kagami has a knack for dropping it when Aomine least expects it, leaving him scrambling, trying to will his heart to stop beating so fast and laughing loud to hide the waver in his voice.

  
He keeps a tally for how many times Kagami say’s it.

  
23 times in the past 3 months, and not once has he been able to voice an honest reply.

  
\--

  
Kagami, for all intents and purposes, is a saint. So when he texts Aomine saying he’ll be late for their usual meet up he doesn’t think twice. But Kagami is only human.

  
He meets up with Kuroko and voices his concern as the shorter male levels him with a cool stare.

  
“Aomine-kun moves at the speed of a glacier when it comes to anything off the court,” he says, eyes betraying his stoic face.

  
Kagami smiles, “I know that. Aside from certain….ah... _things_ …” He scratches his head, a blush blooming on his cheeks.

  
“Give him time, glaciers can be slow,” Kuroko says softly, humor evident.

  
What he doesn’t say is _‘slow at first, then all at once.’_

  
\--

  
“If you keep this up you’ll lose before even beginning,” Satsuki’s voice chimes through his thoughts.

  
Aomine turns to shoot a glare at her. “I don’t _lose_ at basketball Satsuki,” he says, tossing the ball without so much as a glance.

  
“I’m not talking about basketball Dai-chan,” she says with a knowing smile.

  
The ball misses and Aomine thinks it might be an omen.

 

\--

 

It’s a year into their relationship when they have their first big fight.

  
It starts as something so trivial that he can’t even remember what it was, but the snowball effect on their argument is very real. Once the floodgates are opened it’s pretty damn hard to close them again.

  
“You have the emotional capacity of a wet sock I swear to _god_. Why do you keep pushing me away? What the hell are you so afraid of?’

  
Kagami’s rage is so palpable he could cut it with a knife. The worst part is that it’s totally justifiable. Aomine knows he’s not boyfriend of the year, let alone the week. He’s painfully aware of his flaws and it’s now apparent that Kagami is as well.

  
“I’m afraid that one of these days you’re going to realize what a stupid mistake you made by “liking” me and _leave_.”

  
There’s silence and it hits him just how real those words are. The weight of his confession feels like a freight train had blindsided him and suddenly breathing has become difficult. The shocked look on Kagami’s face, probably a mirror of the one on his own, starts to soften and Aomine has to leave. Fight or flight kicks in like a sledgehammer and he vaguely realizes that he’s now outside; running like death itself was at his heals.

  
He runs for what feels like an eternity. Till his lungs are burning and his hands are shaking, breaths coming in short ragged gasps. The only thought running through his mind is a mantra of _‘you idiot, you did it again’. ‘You had to go an open your mouth’. ‘You were ready for this’. ‘It’s just like everything else you’ve ever cared about’._ He stops to catch his breath, hands braced on his knees.

  
Stupid, stupid, _stupid._

  
Standing up, he glances at his surroundings hazily, fighting the urge to vomit as a laugh punches its way out of his lungs.

  
‘This has got to be some kind of fucked up holy retribution,’ he mutters, ignoring the way his voice cracks as he closes the distance between him and the all too familiar scenery.  
It’s the same court that Kagami had confessed to him on months ago. There must have been some construction on it because the fence is new.

  
 _‘There’s a shitty metaphor here somewhere,_ ” he thinks bitterly as the urge to punch something grows.

  
His brain registers that his hand is now clutching the fence like a lifeline, a fresh feeling of numbness washing over him that feels eerily similar to that day back at Teiko. It’s different this time though. Instead of his whole world being ripped out from under him it’s more like a wet blanket smothering him slowly. Closing his eyes he recalls that he left his stuff at Kagami’s when he fled.

  
_Aomine._

  
He’d have to face him again and see his stupid beautiful face and hear his stupidly perfect laugh.

  
_You over dramatic piece of shi-_

  
He feels the nails of his free hand biting into his palm as the other tightens around the metal links when it hits him.

  
_AHOMINE._

  
Literally.

  
“Ow-what the fuck.’ Anger replaces any previous thoughts as he flips around and glares at the offending projectile.

  
A single shoe lay innocently on the ground next to him where it had fallen. Bristling he snaps his eyes up, prepared to beat his frustrations out on the asshole that threw it. He didn’t expect to find Kagami standing a few feet away, face ignited with righteous fury and only wearing one shoe.

  
“What the hell, asshole? I called your name like three times-“ Aomine watched as the redhead bent over, hands on his knee’s trying to catch his breath, “-god why the fuck do you run so fast.”

  
Aomine huffs a laugh then promptly bites down on his tongue as a drop of water hits his shoulder. Glancing up as another hits his cheek and realizes that he’s _cold_. Letting out a breath he thinks about how fucked up this whole situation is. It’s like a reenactment of his conversation with Tetsu years back, finally accepting that the one thing he loves most was gone.

  
The one thing he loves most.

  
The one thing he _loves-_

  
_Oh._

  
“Oh-,“ he breathes and suddenly a pile of black fabric that smells suspiciously like Kagami’s fabric softener hits him in the face.

  
Pulling the offending article off his face he notices that it’s one of Kagami’s jackets and snaps out an “Oi, quit throwing things at me you ass.”

  
Kagami having caught his breath levels him with a ‘Shut up, I’m talking now’ look and Aomine’s jaw clicks shut.

  
“Contrary to popular belief,” he starts; eye’s narrowing with hidden mirth, “I don’t actually know what you’re thinking 24/7.”

  
Aomine cracks a sour grin at the memory of Kise’s whining but keeps his mouth shut. Watching carefully as Kagami’s hand reaches up and rubs the back of his neck, eyes glancing to the side. He’s nervous.

  
“And running away from problems, _literally_ , is a shitty habit so don’t get used to it.”

  
Aomine’s hands involuntarily clench the jacket fabric when the redhead sighs. Kagami’s hands drop to his side and he takes a step towards him.

  
“Look, I know we don’t talk about this like…ever. But we’re in a relationship and its _hard-_ ”

 

If Aomine had been in the right set of mind he’d have slammed at least twenty lucid jokes on the ‘hard’ comment.

  
“-Especially here in Japan where it’s not exactly ‘acceptable’ for two guys to do what we do.” Kagami comes to a stop a few steps away from him, red eyes boring into blue.  
“You’re a bed hog,” he says suddenly, and Aomine feels his cheeks heat with annoyance. Opening his mouth to retort, he stops short when Kagami holds up his hand, clearly not finished.

  
“You leave dirty clothes on the floor, and dishes everywhere else,” he says rolling his eyes. “Your mind is so deep in the gutter it’s amazing that you ever see the light of day and your attitude is shitty as _hell._ ”

  
His shoulders are so tense it feels like he’s going to split in two, but the light hearted tone Kagami is speaking with has him focused.

  
“And there are a million other things you do that piss me the hell off, but they only pale in comparison to the things I like about you,” he says, jabbing his finger at Aomine’s face. “Like your smile, your _real_ smile, not that shit eating grin you wear all the time. Or that stupid wrinkle you get on your forehead when you’re confused and don’t want to tell anyone.”

  
Aomine can feel his eyes growing wider at each comment Kagami spits at him. He can’t help but compare the weight lifting off his chest to the feeling he had when Kagami had beat him for the first time. That feeling when he took back everything he had ever said or thought, claiming that the red head in front of him was _the best_. He takes a step forward, reaching out as Kagami’s rant comes to an end.

  
“-and only god knows why I fell in love with an asshole like you but I did. I don’t care if you don’t say it back or don’t want to hear it because it’s honestly how I feel,” he finishes rather weakly, eyes casted downward, finally betraying his embarrassment.

  
Lacing their fingers together, Aomine closes the gap between them. He wraps his other arm around Kagami’s waist and drops his head onto his shoulder, effectively hiding his face as he lets the words ‘in love’ roll around in his head as he basks in the warmth Kagami emits. Feeling those strong arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer, he lets out a sigh.

  
“I’m terrible at this kind of thing.”

  
“No shit.”

He presses his smile into Kagami’s neck and decides that ‘in love’ sounds a bit like _forever._


End file.
